Biman completes hajj flight preparations

Biman Bangladesh Airlines yesterday finalised all preparations, including leasing enough airbuses, to start the Hajj operation on September 7.
Unlike the previous year, the national carrier will conduct this year's Hajj operation without causing any disruption to regular flights to its 16 international destinations, said officials.
The Biman authorities have already leased a 582-seater Boeing 747 and a 256-seater Boeing 767, which will be supplemented by its two own 419-seater B777-300ER aircraft. The Biman has also got clearance of take-off and landing slots in Jeddah and will start ticket sale in a few days.
After failing to lease enough aircraft for Hajj flights last year, the Biman engaged several of its aircraft meant for regular flights in ferrying pilgrims. It caused immense sufferings to several thousand regular passengers, who were stranded at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and hotels for days, and faced the threat of losing jobs overseas for failure to join work in time.
Meanwhile, as the Biman is yet to prepare its flight schedules when only 16 days are left for the start of the Hajj operation, the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (Haab) said they were in a quagmire over renting of houses for pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
“Around 500 Hajj agencies have faced financial losses due to Biman's delay in announcing the Hajj flight schedules,” Haab Secretary General Shaikh Abdullah told The Daily Star yesterday. He said the Biman was supposed to announce the schedules during Ramadan. As it failed, their agencies could not confirm the accommodations for pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah said Saudi Arabian Airlines, the other operator to ferry pilgrims, had already announced its Hajj flight schedules.
Contacted, Biman's General Manager (Public Relations) Khan Musharraf Hussein said they would be able to announce the flight schedules in a day or two.
This year 88,911 people from Bangladesh will perform the holy ritual of Hajj. Of them, the Biman will carry 44,500 pilgrims, while Saudi Arabian Airlines will ferry the rest. The Biman will also conduct Hajj flights from Chittagong and Sylhet.
Biman officials said 92 dedicated Hajj flights and 22 regular scheduled flights would host the pilgrims. They will be brought back home by November 18.